Recently I ran out of quart-sized and sandwich bag ziploc bags simultaneously. As I pulled the last one or two baggies out of the box, I resolved to stop buying disposable baggies and find reusable alternatives I could use instead. The fact that I was using these disposable plastic baggies up until a couple of weeks ago is why I am truly still the "Eco-novice."
First I made a list of all the things I use plastic baggies for. Click HERE to read the list and see if you have anything to add to it.

I hadn't been searching for reusable baggies for long before I landed on the Reuseit.com website. Treehugger calls Reuseit.com a "one-stop-shop for all manner of reusable containers and related products." Reuseit provided me with a sandwich bag and a snack bag (free) so that I could try them and review them on my blog.

Using reuseit™ sandwich and snack bags will save you money in the long run. You will also be doing the environment a big favor by using reusable instead of disposable.

I have used my bags to store sandwiches, a block of cheese, apple slices, baby carrots, breakfast cereal, pretzals, cookies in the freezer -- worked well for all of them. You should know that the cheese block (in the fridge) and cookies (in the freezer) were only stored for 1-2 weeks because that's as long as these things last in my house. I was especially pleased about the cheese block, as I was worried about finding a viable alternative to a disposable plastic baggie for keeping the cheese block edible.

Fold-over Velcro enclosure: keeps the food in with no spilling

Adjustable in size (due to the long Velcro strip) -- maybe my favorite feature! I was able to adjust the size to fit snugly around my block of cheese (see photos below).

Made from ultra-durable, lightweight (and food-safe) nylon. Nylon is a petroleum-based synthetic fabric, like polyester, that has been around since the 1930s.

Super easy to clean. You just shake them out or wipe off with a cloth. After storing cheese (which got on the fabric), I turned the bag inside out, wiped it with a soapy sponge, rinsed, and set it in my drying rack. Super fast and easy! For occasional cleaning, toss in the washing machine (I would use cold water) and drip dry. I would do this as little as possible to increase the life-span of the product, particularly the Velcro.

100% made and manufactured in the USA.

In recognition of their work to reduce consumption of wasteful, single-use, disposable products, Reuseit.com has received numerous awards, including Green America's People's Choice and Longtime Leadership Awards. The non-profit Green America promotes environmental sustainability, social and economic justice. Reuseit.com donates 1% of sales to environmental organizations. They also provide donations and scholarships to like-minded non-profits.

Now for the GIVEAWAY!

Win your very own reuseit™ sandwich bagAND snack bag (one of each). Because I have great taste, I picked the best colors for you: brown (with blue) and blue (with gray). These two bags were provided for the giveaway by Reuseit.com, but the bags will be shipped directly from Eco-novice (and I'm paying the shipping).

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment. Make sure that either 1) I can contact you through your comment (because your email is on your Blogger profile or your blog, for example); 2) you leave your email address or some other way to contact you in your comment in non-spam form, like this - econovice2010 (at) gmail (dot) com; or 3) check Eco-novice's homepage on November 12 to see if you are the winner.

For a second entry, spread the word by email, Facebook, Twitter, and/or your blog, and then leave a second comment below.

You may only enter TWO times total. (I like to give a fair chance to social-media-challenged folks like myself, but I do appreciate you spreading the word any way you can!)

Giveaway ends on Thursday, November 11, 2010. The winner will be announced November 12 on Eco-novice's homepage, and contacted by email if possible.

Full disclosure: After publishing this post, I became an affiliate for Reuseit.com. If you buy something from them via my blog, I receive a small percentage of the purchase. Read my disclosure policy here.

54 comments:

Oooh, I think I would pick blue and brown also. I think that is a great combination. I'm interested in you approaching the company for a free sample to review. That is a great idea! Have you had much success with that in the past? kellybryansmith at gmail dot com

I just ran out of Ziplocks too. I had bought the big box at Costco a long while ago and now, nada. So, this is very timely. Thanks!

Okay, so are these just as air tight as ziplocks? I'm really surprised your cookies didn't get freezer burned and your cheese block didn't dry out.

My big question is regarding petroleum based anything. I have heard that mineral oil and petrolatum are derivatives of petroleum and also act as xenoestrogens. I don't know if this is completely true (although I think my sources were credible). Is there not the same concern of xenoestrogens with all things petroleum based?

Good sewing project, Megan! As soon as I learn to thread the machine. I'll be needing to make some little drawstring bags to hold the toys and other things currently in ziplocs.

Nisha, here's the deal. You can buy baggies made of cotton or other natural materials, but they will not be like disposable ziploc baggies. Ziploc baggies are also petroleum-based, of course, as are all plastics (except the newer corn-based ones). I have not heard anything scary about nylon and it's been around for a while, so I feel as comfortable using nylon as plastic baggies. You might look for a baggie that is cotton on the inside and some kind of plastic on the outside if you are concerned about food contact with petroleum-based materials. I have not found one yet myself, and they would be much harder to clean.

I also thought that my cookies would get freezer burned (my sister didn't even want me to try it she was so worried I'd waste the cookies) and that my cheese would go bad faster, but it worked fine. I didn't do a side-by-side analysis or nuthin' (I really am out of disposable baggies), so I can't be too definitive in my claims, but I think the nylon bags will work fine for me.

I have jsut recently learned I have a yeast allergy. Now I have to take food/snacks with me almost everywhere I go. This would be so nice to be able to buy bulk foods, portion them myself, and not have to worry about ziplocs!

I love the thought of these bags and all their uses. I would certainly use them for sandwiches, but also for chips, and the smaller bag for dry cereal as a snack for my nephew. These are such a great idea!! This company has so many awesome products such as cleaners, reusable bags, and much more. Angela Romero...Facebook

Those are great looking bags -the blue and brown bag combination is beautiful! Our family has been using reusable snack bags from Reuseit.com (lunchskins) for over two years now and they have been absolutely wonderful - so practical, well-made and durable ... but it's time to replace them. I think I'll order a set of these!

These bags are great. I did a similar thing recently--refused to buy more plastic baggies when they ran out. So I ordered from Reuseit.com one of these snack bags, a sandwich bag by Lunchskins, and another snack bag by SnackTaxi--I wanted to compare and contrast designs. I like Reuseit's style best: the velcro on the Lunchskins one goes all the way across and is pretty tight (some people probably prefer that because it closes more securely, but I find that it's easy to squash your sandwich because of it), and the SnackTaxi fabric is a little too soft to me (Reuseit's fabric is more sturdy, so again, I'm less likely to squash whatever I put inside when I try to open it). But since I got those three bags, I've thought of zillions of other ways I could use them . . . if only I had more!

I would love any color. I just got a second job and I only get 1/2 an hour for lunch so I don't have enough time to come home. For the first time in my adult life I'm packing a lunch and need reusables badly. I hate using plastic bags but somethings don't fit well in tupperware.

Been a fan of these even before Reusit started making them. I believe it was SnackTaxi who first came out with these on the internet. I have used them for years and LOVE THEM!!! I'm still using the original ones I bought when they first came out. I simply throw them in the wash and air dry them. Velcro still working perfectly. I have 4 children now who I make lunch for and these could come in handy. Facebook $ Twitter here I come to share your review. Thanks!

OK good, I'm glad to know you like these! I go through WAY too many baggies. It's shameful. I tried washing them out, but I'm too lazy to save three cents. These kind of remind me of the cloth diapers I used for my kids; nylon and velcro. I can totally do the washing thing with something like this. My only fear would be that my absent minded 7 year old would throw it away accidentally at school!

I embarrassingly admit to still being a plastic-bag using eco-novice as well. We use them for SO many things and I feel guilty each time I throw one away. I've seen these before but wanted to hear someone else's review of them. Thanks for sharing and for offering the giveaway!dakotasommers(at)ymail(dot)com

I love these bags-we have been using them for years. Ours are pretty beat up and we could use a new supply. I order everything from Reuseit-fka Reusable Bags.com. Thanks for the chance to win!lori@groovygreenlivin.com

i stumbled across this particular product (and website/blog(which is laid out nicely BTW)) through a friends facebook post. i must say i'm all for this product! sounds like a great idea and i will be looking into this even if i do not win. we do a lot of sewing around the home so i'll admit we may only buy one or two products before we cloned them. ;) i work at a community based nonprofit organization and spend a lot of time in the field. besides not EVER having time to actually go anywhere for lunch... I simply cannot afford dining for a casual lunch. So... I brown bag it, always and i'm always looking for better products to keep my food from spoiling and something that actually lasts. cant wait to give it a try.

I love this idea in theory, but I was wondering how fresh bread is that is stored in these. I have considered sewing some up myself, but my husband is particular and isn't convinced that they will keep his sandwiches as fresh as the ziplocks do. However, I'd love to try them out for free!

I have been meaning to order some of these anyway - am SOOO eternally tired of that aisle in the grocery store. I feel so wasteful buying ziplocs when there are good alternatives out there!Thanks for doing this!Blessings!LIBhttp://bit.ly/aMpQKs